Why Romeo Hates Juliet (42 page)

She was in the water again - and she couldn’t breathe! Juliet could feel the pressure against her rib cage and her lungs were straining, trying to keep her last breath of air locked up inside of her. But soon she’d have to release it and then she’d have no choice but to breathe in the water. On no, she couldn’t hold her breath any longer - God please, no - not again!

With a last gasp for air, Juliet woke up and sat upright in bed. Romeo switched on the bedside lamp and a warm glow filled the room. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, trying to make her feel safe again.

“Was it that dream again?” he asked, worried as he took in the look of terror stamped across her beautiful face.

She nodded, unable to speak as she fought to get her erratic breathing back under control. She’d been having the same dream for the past few nights and it was always the same. She was drowning again, back in that pool, but sometimes it was back at the lake from her childhood - and she couldn’t swim and she couldn’t breathe and she was alone and she knew she was going to die.

Romeo frowned. When Juliet had almost drowned awhile back, the doctors had told them that a traumatic event such as that could be relived over and over again by the subconscious mind through dreams. She may look fine and feel fine, but the fear could bubble up from within at anytime.

She needed to deal with this fear once and for all if she was ever to get over it and move on. He kissed the top of her bent head as he held her tightly against him. “Are you feeling better now?” he asked softly.

Juliet nodded. “I always feel safe in your arms,” she whispered, as she snuggled deeper into him, allowing the warmth of his body to calm her fears.

“Juliet, you have to deal with this. You know that, don’t you?”

“I - I guess.”

“I’m glad you think so, because tomorrow morning, bright and early, I’m going to start teaching you how to swim.”

“No!” The word exploded out of her and she tore herself out of his arms and off the bed. She grabbed her silk robe, put it on and went to stand by the windows facing the ocean. She wrapped her hands around her arms trying to warm herself up. Even though the temperature in the room was comfortable enough, she just couldn’t stop shaking as a cold chil went down her spine.

Romeo studied her terror stricken expression. “What if it happens again - that you fall in some pool somewhere or in the ocean, what then?”

“It won’t happen again,” she mumbled.

“Juliet, I can’t be with you all the time to save you. For God’s sake, look where we are now - at a beach house by the ocean. And my house in ll.A. has a pool, as do all the houses of my friends out there. Anything can happen at any time. You have to learn; it’s the only way.”

“I said no! I’m not getting in that water for any reason and that’s final. You just don’t understand,” she shouted, before stalking out of the bedroom, angry that no one seemed to understand how terrifying this was for her.

Romeo let out a frustrated breath as a wave of helplessness washed over him.

* * *

“Let’s not fight, okay?”

Juliet turned from where she was standing on the outdoor patio and saw Romeo standing at the open backdoor entrance. He’d thrown on a pair of cotton shorts and the moonlight ill uminated his bare chest.

“I don’t want to fight with you either, Romeo,” she whispered, tightening her robe around her against the night chill. “But I - I just can’t go into the water, I can’t; please don’t make me.”

Romeo heard the terrified whimpering in her voice and his heart broke. He rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her. “God, Juliet, of course I’m not going to make you. I’m not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to - ever, you hear me?” He felt her body relax. “I love you and I just want what’s best for you, that’s all.”

“I know that. I’m just scared.” Her arms tightened even more around his broad chest as she felt his strength protecting her. Suddenly, a thought flitted through her brain. Her drowning dreams had begun after her agent’s phone call a couple of days ago when she’d been reminded about the financial bind she was in. Is that why she was starting to have them again? Was it because it felt like her life was closing in on her and her worries were strangling the breath out of her? She knew she should tell her husband about her money problems, it was the only way, but she couldn’t. She was just too scared and too embarrassed and too humiliated. Juliet looked up at him then and smiled timidly. “I think that was our first fight as a married couple.”

“If it was, it was pretty lame compared to some of the doozies we’ve had when we were just neighbors,” he smirked, trying to lighten the mood, but he was still very frightened for her. Juliet needed to learn how to swim and overcome her phobia of the water, no doubt about it, and he knew just how to make that happen. After she’d stormed out of their bedroom ten minutes ago, a plan had formulated in his mind and he was determined to put it into effect tomorrow morning. She wouldn’t even know what hit her.

She was speaking again and he refocused on her.

“It was still a fight, nonetheless. So why don’t we go inside and have makeup sex on the couch,” she teased, before claiming his lips in a slow, deep kiss.

His arms tightened protectively around her pliant body as desire shot through him and he could already feel himself getting hard. He pulled back and let his tongue trace the full ness of her soft lips before letting them go. “You mean after every fight we’ve ever had we could’ve had makeup sex?” He pretended to be shocked. “Why wasn’t I informed of this?”

A bubble of laughter escaped from Juliet’s lips. “Considering that you hated my guts for the longest time, I doubt you would have been interested.”

“Honey, I may have hated your guts, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want to have sex with you. I’m a guy. I’ve wanted to have sex with you the second I opened my door to you and I thought you were my stripper for the night.”

“Which reminds me, did you enjoy Rosie’s show after Sara and I left?”

“What show? My back was killing me, thanks to you pushing me into the TV screen.” Juliet’s smile turned to outrage. “It was an accident. I never pushed you on purpose.” He smirked at her. “Nevertheless, the only thing I could enjoy that night was a hot bath and some Epsom salts. I paid Rosie off and sent her home without sampling her wares.”

“So you’re telling me that you never got to see your stripper show?”

“Nope.”

“Oh, poor baby. Well, we’ll have to do something about that.”

“Really? Like what?” Romeo’s dirty mind was already working overtime, spinning various scenarios.

“Come with me,” she tantalized, as she grabbed his hand and led him back into the house.

“Be gentle with me,” he laughed.

“Shut up and sit right here.” She pushed him down on the couch before adding coyly, “I’ll be right back.” Turning, she raced up the stairs and out of sight.

Five minutes later, Romeo watched her come back down. She had changed into a white cotton t-shirt and a pair of jeans that hugged every curve of her luscious body, emphasizing her long legs. She’d put on some mascara, lip gloss, and brushed her loose hair until its auburn brown highlights shone brilliantly in the overhead track lighting. Amusement flickered in her eyes as she suddenly threw a wrapped condom his way, which he quickly caught.

“Hold on to that, you’re going to need it.” She then twirled around, modeling her clothes for him. “So, was this what I was wearing that first night we met?”

Romeo’s mouth quirked into a knowing grin. “Oh yeah; you were wearing exactly that,” he laughed, as his thoughts raced back to that memorable evening.

Juliet reveled in the anticipation she knew he was feeling for whatever little game she had planned. “There’s one more thing missing,” she said, before disappearing into the kitchen. Seconds later, she came back out carrying an open, long-necked bottle of beer which she immediately plopped into his waiting hands.

“How did you ever guess I wanted one?” Romeo asked, before taking a swig.

Juliet threw him a saucy look. “Men are simple creatures with simple tastes; you’re not that difficult to figure out.” She let her finger travel slowly down from his chest to the hard bulge straining against his shorts, before stepping away from him.

But as she moved away, he grabbed her wrist and brought her down to within inches of his hard lips. “Beer’s not the only thing I’m thirsty for,” he whispered into her mouth, as his eyes traveled down to her soft lips. He was signaling to her that he wanted her and was raring to go.

“Beer’s all you’re going to get until I say so - so drink up, Mister Movie Star.” She smirked before moving out of his grip.

Romeo’s eyes devoured her as he watched her walk to the opposite wall in the room where the entertainment unit was housed. God, she was an amazing woman, he thought to himself, and he was so lucky to have her in his life. And to top it all off - she loved him, she really, truly and honestly loved him. How had something so wonderful happened to a sinner like him? Damned if he knew.

Juliet turned back to Romeo and watched as he took another long drink from his bottle. He smiled at her and it was obvious that he was hot for whatever she was planning. “Let’s see, now what would Rosie do next?” she teased him, as she pretended to think. “Music… she’d put on some music.” Her hand snaked out to the stereo system housed inside the wall unit and she turned on the radio to a rock station. She cranked the volume to an ear-splitting level before turning back to her grinning husband. “Is that what you like?” she shouted over the music.

“Oh yeah,” he confirmed with a grin.

“So, what kind of moves would a pro like her make?” Juliet asked as she pretended to ponder the question. “Maybe something like this?” She began to brazenly dance around the room, allowing her body to shimmy and shake to the strong beat reverberating off of the walls. Her hips gyrated to the pulsing sound and she mimicked as many stripper moves as she could ever remember seeing on TV.

She moved closer to where he was sitting on the couch and provocatively backed up her derriere into his face and shook it for all it was worth, giggling when she saw his entranced expression. She felt his hands clamp down on her jean-clad ass and she squealed out of his hold, backing away.

“On no, sir - no touching the merchandise,” she laughed, as she lunged further out of his reaching grasp.

“Oh come on, Juliet, you’re torturing me here,” he grumbled, but his wide smile belied his words. He was clearly enjoying himself.

Juliet jumped up onto the wooden coffee table and began to shimmy her chest at him as she reached down to the bottom hem of her white tshirt. Slowly, she began to pull the cotton material up and over her head, exposing her lacy turquoise-colored bra. Her eyes watched him as he feverishly watched her back, and she smiled as she threw the flimsy garment away, knowing the tantalizing effect she was having on him. He was glued to every move she was making and she noticed that he was barely breathing.

still moving to the strong beat of the rock song, Juliet swung around on the table and provocatively swiveled her ass at him before unzipping her jeans. “Would Rosie do something like this?” she teased, as she slowly pulled her pants down, exposing her matching turquoise boy shorts which barely covered her round cheeks.

“Shit, Juliet!” Romeo’s fevered words exploded out of him as he continued to sit on the couch as if in a trance, watching her every move.

She stepped out of the denims and threw them halfway across the room before excitedly jumping down off the coffee table and coming back to where he was sitting. She towered over his reclining form and he looked up at her, his eyes surrendering to whatever she wanted to do next.

“Would she have given you a lap dance, I wonder?” she softly whispered and he nodded, his lust for her making him speechless.

She straddled him, and in her turquoise underwear began to gyrate again to the music, making sure that the thin material of her panties skimmed the rough cotton of his shorts. She could feel his hard bulge as it rubbed the softness between her legs and he groaned out loud.

“I can’t take much more,” he moaned, and his hands quickly came up to grab her waist, bringing her down right onto his hardness.

“Oh no,” she dictated, as she removed his hands from her body and lifted herself a fraction off of him. “The client never touches the entertainment. There’s a hands-off policy in effect at this club.” But as she said that, her own hands snaked around his neck and then traveled down his strong muscled bare chest, feeling every ripple straining to remain still against her warm body still rhythmically moving to the rock beat.

“No fair, Juliet,” he groaned, as his eyes half-closed at the heat she was generating between his legs.

“I can touch you, but you can’t touch me; them’s the rules,” she smiled, as she lowered her lips to his warm, moist ones. She felt his lips desperately pressing against hers before they covered her mouth and began to move against hers with a demanding urgency. It was clear that he was on fire for her and he wanted her now, but he obeyed the instructions and kept his hands to his sides on the couch.

Juliet stopped kissing him and tried to get control of her own heavy breathing. “Not yet…,” she whispered, “I - I haven’t finished my lap dance…”

“God, I’m aching for you…” the words came out in a husky low groan, as his eyes traveled the length of her delicious body now completely straddling his lap in her lacy underwear. All he wanted to do was to touch and taste every inch of her until the moment he could be inside her again.

“I can’t take much more,” he moaned again, as his need for her spun out of control.

She smiled at him then, “Okay, I think you’ve had enough of my little game for one night. Rosie gives her client permission to touch her now.” In a heartbeat, he had whipped off her bra and his hands covered both her breasts, just as his frantic lips clamped down on hers again. She opened her mouth to him and his tongue quickly invaded her space. Juliet felt devoured, and she crushed her body more into his reclining one. She felt his hands leave her breasts to pull off his cotton shorts, freeing his hard erection and she moved off of him slightly to remove her own underwear.